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egnida give Ystalyfera Community Hall a facelift for Give & Gain

Ystalyfera community hall got a makeover this year in celebration of the 2016 Give & Gain day, where businesses came together to help build stronger communities. Following egnida’s multi-site solar PV installation for NPT Homes, they decided to go one step further with the renovation of Ystalyfera community hall. The project was supported by NPT Homes, SERS and a number of kind contributors.

The community hall is owned by the local Council and sits at the heart of Ystalyfera, providing priceless facilities for local residents. It is an activity hub with many local groups using the facilities, such as the pensioners association, dance classes, nursery groups, the Welsh medium ‘Ti a Fi nursery’ and it even provides space for the community library. All of these resources are provided free of charge by Neath Council.

County Councillor Alun Llewelyn from Neath Port-Talbot County Borough Council commented: “This is a really nice upgrade of the kitchen and main hall, which has been very well used over the years.

“Hall users and the whole community will appreciate the generosity of NPT Homes, egnida and the other contractors who are giving their time and materials to this project.”

Councillor Emyr Williams, Chair of Ystalyfera Community Council commented: “The Community Council makes the hall available free of charge to local voluntary organisations, so we were really pleased that NPT Homes tenants nominated the building for a makeover.”

“It is used by many organisations including the village Ti a Fi playgroup and the community Library. At Christmas time the hall is always packed for Santa’s sleigh ride and children’s party so the new kitchen will be a great asset.”

Unfortunately, even with the recent investment received from the Council upgrading the roof and boiler the community hall is still in need of some crucial repairs to make it fit for purpose. To make this happen a number of local businesses have teamed up to organise a Give & Gain day project with the aim to provide Ystalyfera Community hall with a facelift. egnida and SERS have breathed new life into the facilities, providing new kitchen facilities, flooring, tiling, doors and a lick of fresh paint. All resources have kindly been donated free of charge by local businesses Rixon Way Ltd, Topps Tiles and Robert Price Builders.

What is Give & Gain day about?

“Give & Gain Day is a fantastic opportunity for business, community organisations and schools to celebrate what can be achieved through the power of employee volunteers. Over the last two years, over 2,500 employee volunteers have taken part –a real demonstration of the positive role that businesses can play in building sustainable communities. At the heart of employee volunteering is mutual benefit –because when volunteers give, Welsh businesses and communities gain.”

Rosie Sweetman –Director, Business in the Community Cymru

Andrew Padmore, egnida’s CEO commented “As a business who is already working within the local community installing solar PV on 12 sites for our client NPT Homes, it was important to offer something back to the residents and wider community. Through helping project manage and source materials for the Ystalyfera community hall, egnida have been able to make a substantial impact to the future continuation of this vital resource. It is fantastic to see so many organisations pulling together and egnida are proud to be leading such a worthwhile cause.”